Attention, Picture Book Builders People. My favorite month is nearly here!
In honor of October, I wanted to share a book that just might make you howl with delight. Benita and the Night Creatures is written by my pal Mariana Llanos and illustrated by Cocoretto.
Book Description:
Benita loves to read in bed but keeps getting interrupted by a whistling Tunche, a scary Supay and other spooky creatures from Peruvian lore. To the creatures’ disbelief, Benita is so absorbed by her book that she’s not the least bit scared of them. This humorous celebration of bedtime reading puts a global twist on taking the “scary” out of monsters.
Take a look at these reviews:
“Creatures from Peruvian folklore try, unsuccessfully, to haunt a young reader . . . An imaginative peek at colorful monsters.” – Kirkus Reviews
“Illustrating duo Cocoretto put their own bold folk art stamp on creatures of lore, while play-by-play text from Llanos establishes the child’s single-minded pursuit of reading and the beasts’ comic surprise.” – Publishers Weekly
“Young book lovers will relate to Benita’s devotion to reading and be amused by the friendly night creatures, who are all based on Peruvian legends.” – The Horn Book Magazine
Nice, huh?
I hereby give you Five Reasons Why I Think Benita and the Night Creatures is Spooktacular:
1–It is just-right-scary for a young audience. This kind of thing makes kids practically gleeful! (It also makes this 51-year-old pretty excited, too.)
2–It is a great read-aloud. Each creature that tries–and fails!–to scare Benita has its own creepy sound.
3–It is a celebration of reading! Not only does Benita love reading but she eventually ends up sharing her love of reading with a very unlikely audience.
4–It is FUNNY and funny picture books are my favorite.
5–It has wonderful back matter that includes the inspiration for the book, facts about Peru, and descriptions of the various night creatures.
Now go get a copy of Benita and the Night Creatures…if you dare! Mwah-ha-ha-ha-ha!
GIVEAWAY:
Mariana is giving away TWO signed copies of Benita and the Night Creatures. For a chance to win a copy, leave a comment. For a bonus chance to win, share the post on Twitter (YESSSS TWITTER) and tag @SauerTammi and @marianallanos.
I’m not scared…
Well maybe a little scared of creepy noises!
Funny and spooky? I’m in!
How fun! Thanks for sharing!
Delightful! Thanks for sharing this title.
Easy for cross cultural understanding!
This looks like so much fun!
This sounds like a book my 6yo would enjoy! Thanks for sharing!
Sounds like a must for all of us who can get totally absorbed in a read.
What a fun story! And so like many children who become absorbed in their books. Looking forward to reading this with my kiddos!
What a wonderful way to teach kids about scary night noises and not be afraid. Can’t wait to read it!
Just the right amount of scary is PERFECT for a read aloud!
Scary + silly is the perfect combination! I love this book. Thanks for featuring it.
What a great story! I love that spread where she tells them to be quiet because she is reading! So funny!
This looks like a really fun book! The illustrations are charming and colorful!
Congratulations!
oooooo-I have the perfect someone to share this story with….I love that it introduces the reader to “the monsters” of Peru!
Ha! Love it. Some Halloween fun while teaching the creatures a little something about reading. Very clever. Thanks for sharing.
Cute Halloween book!
Perfect for October. Such a fun twist on the scary monster book. That opening spread is so cute. Can’t wait to read the rest!
Benita is adorable!!! But this is the second time my comment has disappeared. Spooky?
I love a scary and funny combination! Makes it not so scary!
Love this book! Really enjoyed hearing Mariana read it out loud at one of our SCBWI meetings.
This book is perfect for all readers and just the right amount of scary. I can’t wait to read this.
What a great idea for a picture book! I was cracking up just reading about it! Can’t wait to get my hands on this one!